BISHOPRICS OF SOUTHWARK AND BIRMINGHAM BILL [H.L.] (Hansard, 26 June 1903)

*THE LORD BISHOP OF HEREFORD
had an Amendment on Sub-section (b) of Clause 1, which sub-section enables the Ecclesiastical Commissioners to provide for transferring (subject to any right enjoyed by any person at the passing of the Act) to the Bishop of Lichfield or to the Bishop of Birmingham the patronage of any benefice situate either within or without the diocese of Worcester, the patronage of which is immediately before the foundation of the Bishopric of Birmingham vested in the Bishop of Worcester. He moved, after "Lichfield," to insert the words "or to the Bishop of Hereford." He said that the effect of the Amendment would be to enable the Ecclesiastical Commissioners to take the diocese of Hereford into consideration in the same way as the diocese of Lichfield. It was strongly felt in one, at any rate, 650 of the two dioceses concerned, that there ought to be some readjustment of patronage as between the diocese of Hereford and the diocese of Worcester, and that this was an opportune moment for doing so. The Bishop of Worcester, at the present moment, was patron of no less than fourteen livings in the diocese of Hereford, whereas the Bishop of Hereford himself was patron of only thirty-two livings in the whole of that diocese. He thought this a sufficient reason for giving the Ecclesiastical Commissioners power to consider this question.

THE LORD ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY
said he saw no objection to the Amendment.

§ LORD BELPER
said he had no objection to the Amendment.

*THE LORD BISHOP OF HEREFORD
said the object of his Amendments to this clause was to give power to rearrange also the boundaries of the diocese of Hereford. As long ago as 1836, when the very important Bill affecting Bishops' revenues and dioceses was passed, it was enacted that all the county of Worcester should be included in the diocese of Worcester, but that had never been carried out, and there were about twenty parishes in the county of Worcester which still belonged to the diocese of Hereford. It would be a very great advantage if they could assimilate the diocesan organisation to the county organisation as far as possible. All he now asked was that by the acceptance of his Amendments they should be at liberty to appear before the Ecclesiastical Commissioners when the time came, and advocate such a readjustment as they believed might be beneficial.

§ LORD BELPER
said he had no objection to the Amendments.

§ *LORD ASHCOMBE
moved after "Canterbury," to insert "Winchester." He said that the proposed diocese of Southwark would adjoin, on the west side, the diocese of Winchester, and therefore, it was desirable that the Ecclesiastical Commissioners should have the same power, if they thought fit, of rearranging the boundaries of the diocese of Winchester as they had of rearranging the boundaries of the dioceses of Canterbury and Rochester. The Amendment had the approval of the most rev. Primate and of the Bishops of Winchester and Rochester.

THE LORD ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY
said he saw no objection to the Amendment.

§ LORD NORTON
said he desired to amend the section which provides that, subject to the rights enjoyed by any person at the passing of this Act, there 652 shall be transferred to the endowment fund of the Bishopric of Birmingham, such portion of the endowment or income of the Bishopric of Worcester as will reduce that endowment or income from the annual sum of £5,000 to the annual sum of £4,200, irrespective of tenths or first fruits. He wished to omit "£4,200" and to insert "£4,000."

THE CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEES (The Earl of MORLEY)
pointed out that the noble Lord's Amendment should have been moved to the First Schedule, which had been agreed to. It was therefore out of order now, but it could be moved on Report or in the Standing Committee.